The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-03-12

| nowadays, when 1t has become le.a.a a az stehir
milan and perhaps more RESPECTABLE 1omIy
bow to George, but competing -
ing with some of the brightest tRP w p'
| the same time the most reckless, inlEslo
personal habits and dealings, of the yonuo
mon of the day.
Journalism was not then what it has
since become-a business. There was some
individuality about the work of newspaper
writers, and the ranks of the profession
We're filled with men of whom the race
seems to have almost died out. Today,
your newspaper men are a Woodworking,
industrious class. men of standing, men of
responsibility and methodlcal habit. Then
they were free and easy, jolly, reckless
set, who would make money easily and
spend it just as easily; mon who wonld
work by spells and make little money and
then quit, and like the sailor ashore before
the day Of Bethels, spend it lavishly while
it lasted
Circumstances threw me, early in life,
among newspaper workers, and the fasci-
nation which the profession cast over those
who adopt it early threw it's spell about me.
An opportunity offered to take place In a
city some distance from my home on the
staff of recently established daily, one of
those concerns which, twenty years ago,
were as numerous as now, that spring up in
day, flourish for few weeks on the best
work Of the brightest unattached writers
In the community in which they are started,
and fall through before they have reached
half hundred issues. Soon l became a
regular Bohemian, living from hand to
mouth, as the majority Of newspaper writ
ers C'spacemen" they were nearly all of
them in those days. were then doing, but
only to lind myself. with half dozen others
at the end OF six weeks, creditors of de-
funct institution, that in dying had left no
assets upon which we could levy.
LAS the newspaper had never paid the
writers who made it, except in promises,
when it last gave up the ghost / had ex-
hausted about all my resources and not
great while afterwards the sheriff levied on
the Office furniture. found myself with
out cent and nothing in prospect.
Imagine if you can my position, l was
comparatively stranger in the city, and
had made but few friends and even from
these, constituencies or pride, l can hardly
tell which, induced me to keep my wants a
secret Though l vainly sought employ
ment day after day, no one knew in what
desperate straits was.
Il had quiet room in an obscure part of
the town, and there night after night l
labored to produce something that would
be accepted and paid for by the newspapers.
But | always met with the same rebuff
We have more more matter than we can
use'
''At length there came a day when my
last cent was expended in the purchase of
a frugal meal at cheap restaurant On
the morrow l had nothing to eat, but kept
up courage all through the day and reso-
lutely made the accustomed rounds of the
offices with the usual luck. At night, faint
with hunger, crept back to my lodgings,
feeling more solitary and friendless than
any mariner cast away on desert island,
and gloomily enough, l assure you, went
to bed and dreamed of sitting at a feast, but
without the power to touch an article of
food.
1.-THE second day came and wandered
aimlessly through the long and weary hours
of daylight with the f-formed hope that
perhaps some thing would somehow turn
up before night But, as might have been
expected, nothing did turn up, and, faint
with forty-aight hours want of food and
with desperate thoughts burning in my
brain, once more sought my lodgings long
after midnight.
THE third morning dawned and broke
into day and wore on into night, but kept
my ROOM too faint with hunger to move
about. After dark, which came early, for
it was in November, crept down the stairs
and out into the streets. Where l went
that night | have not the faintest idea.
There is in my mind u confused, horrible
recollection of trudging up and down, past
more than one provision store where food
was displayed, hoping for, l don't know
what, favorable opportunity that might
occur which would enable me TO procure
something to eat.
''Famished though / was l had not the
courage to beg. People talk of courage
usually in connection with some heroic
deed, but tell you it takes much greater
courage than l possess, and have been in
scenes of physical danger without knowing
fear, for one Of my disposition to beg.
But, one by one, the lights went out; the
stores closed for the night and my last
chance was gone. How l reached my lodg-
ings don't remember, but when got there
it was to throw myself dressed on the bed,
to fall into an uneasy sleep; the sleep of
exhaustion, in which the tortures of Tanta-
lus were again endured as on the night
before.
Morning at last came, and, strange to
say, awoke without the slightest feeling
of hunger l was weak and could hardly
summon the necessary energy to make my
toilet, but did not feel the want of food
Wandered out of the house and this time
walked out into the country, where sat
by the side Of the road and dreamed away
the day with my eyes open.
1.-THE only thought that was In my mind
was that bitter one which comes with almost
uubearable yet irremediable loneliness. All